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Dances, By Level
Any dance can succeed brilliantly or crash miserably, depending on the crowd. This index groups dances by skill level, as follows: Easy dances have worked well early in the evening with up to half beginners. Easy/Intermediate dances work well once beginners have succeeded with several contras. Intermediate dances work best when most dancers have at least some experience, and can accommodate a few game beginners. Intermediate/Advanced dances work best with experienced dancers. A1
By Rick Mohr;
December 2004
Contra, Becket Level: Intermediate
This is an accessible dance with an unexpected twist and some nice symmetries. Its "two steps forward and one step back" progression makes it a cousin of Rosen at the Wheel, but on the dance floor it feels quite different. Dancers are next to their shadows at the beginning of the dance. If you introduce them before the walk-through they might still remember each other in B2. For Bill Olson, an A1 caller, musician, and human being, in honor of many great times at the A1 Diner in Gardner Maine before the North Whitefield dance. "A1" is also the beginning of a contradance, and if Bill's there it's bound to be great. Anna's Reel
By Rick Mohr;
March 19, 2003
Contra, Becket Level: Intermediate/Advanced
I love Tom Hinds's dance "Fisher's Jig", where the women balance and swing each other in the center and then whirl around for a partner swing. But why just the women? This dance uses Tom's idea in a different set of figures so the men and women each get to do the swing, as they alternate leading the sequence in successive rounds of the dance. Note that after the women lead the figure everyone ends on the "wrong" side of the set; then the men lead the figure and everyone gets back home. Because "home" keeps changing, dancers swinging in the middle should keep track of their partner so as to whirl into the arms of the right person! The transition from swing to swing can be a thrill if the middle people trust their partners, throw their arms in the air and pivot around expectantly. The side people, right on the money, put a left hand on partner's back, wrapping that pivot straight into a "hoop hold" swing. Because dancers don't necessarily know how to do a same-sex swing it can help to teach it while everyone is still proper. (There's something ironic about that term in this context...) Even so, the men aren't always as enthusiastic about swinging each other as the women are. Probably they just need extra encouragement and a little practice? Or should we just stick with Fisher's Jig? For Anna Patton, talented and heartful musician, dancer, and singer from Brattleboro VT, who likes interacting with everyone in the set. Ballad of 30,000 Feet
By Rick Mohr;
June, 1995
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
Despite having many figures, this dance is straightforward and fun. To get a satisfying "just in time" balance and swing in B1, don't be too slow in the allemandes of A2. The Barn Mixer
By Rick Mohr;
August, 1986
Mixer, Scattered 4's Level: Easy
Summer dances in New Haven Connecticut are held in the beautifully rough-hewn Eli Whitney Barn, which has a long narrow space next to (and about five inches below!) a shorter space. It's perfect for longways sets but dismal for circles, so in need of a mixer I wrote this "scatter promenade" dance. It has turned out to be a reliable crowd pleaser; the chaos factor from the scattering is great for loosening people up early in the evening. Bill Olson (fine caller from Maine and all-around great guy) points out that doing a Maine-style right and left through (with hands) in the A2 makes for a nice transition out of the right hand star. Thanks, Bill! The Birds and the Bees
By Rick Mohr;
February 2008
Grid Square, Level: Intermediate/Advanced
To set up the grid have each square join hands in a ring, and line up the squares in rows and columns. Make sure they're straight, with no gaps. You need 9 squares minimum, the more the better. If any row has only one square, move a square from a different row—for example, 3+3+2+2 is better than 3+3+3+1. In A1, heads should start circling while sides do the courtesy turn. Pause in the walk-through after the B1. Everyone is facing an opposite (each man is in the center facing a woman on the side), and beyond them can see a file of other facing pairs across the hall. Have everyone spot their partner in the other file—men look diagonally behind and women look diagonally ahead. The grand right and left takes you to a different square. Crucial point—if there's no one to pull by (when you hit the edge of the grid), turn around and stay in the same file. Don't switch to the other file. The forward and back in C2 will solidify the new squares, but dancers may be disoriented after the swing in C1. The simple solution is to head for your partner (in the same relative diagonal position you spotted them after the B1). I call "Where's your partner?" Dancers may be anxious at this point; they're in a new square, on the diagonal, and not with partner. I tell them to relax and enjoy the trip home, there's plenty of time. Head couples and side couples alternate leading the A1. (When sides lead, the grands right and left go up and down the hall instead of across.) In successive changes heads remain heads and sides remain sides, but couples swap roles at the edge of the grid so everyone gets thoroughly mixed around. Named for a memorable day at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown NC, with a morning bird walk led by Frank Clayton and an afternoon extracting 150 pounds of wildflower honey produced by the school's bees. (So I finally learned about the birds and the bees in my forties...) If you want a visual, B2 is the birds migrating and C2 is the bees swarming. California Clover
By Rick Mohr;
May 2003
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
This is a nice dance with a different way of forming a "cloverleaf". Even though it technically begins by progressing I find the setup is simpler if I skip the initial balance and allemande, starting the walk-through with a long neighbor swing. I start the dance that way as well. The transition from A2 to B1 is novel but not difficult. After the California twirl with your neighbor, keep hands and turn to face each other. Then reach your free hand over your joined hand to take your partner's hand and form the cloverleaf. After balancing the cloverleaf, let go of your neighbor's hand—now partners' hands are set for the "Nevada twirl" (a "California twirl" with opposite hands). Raise joined hands and trade places, with the woman ducking under the arch. As partners pass, men are to the outside of the set and women inside. Many thanks to Susan Petrick and Nils Fredland for convincing me this dance was a keeper, by calling it after its trial run at the Scout House and bugging me to give it a name!
Chuck the Budgie
By Rick Mohr;
August, 1991
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Easy/Intermediate
There's a fine fiddle tune called "Pat the Budgie" with sharply punctuated notes in the B2 which cry out for balances. This dance provides the balances in the right spots and otherwise moves along pretty well. "Budgie" is slang for "Budgerigar" (a type of small parrot) as well as, I'm told, for "logger". Whichever the tune refers to, we're left with the tormenting question of whether it commemorates a notable budgie named Pat or the act of patting some nameless budgie on the head. We may never know; likewise with the dance. Colin's Carnival Ride
By Rick Mohr;
January 2008
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
A good all-moving dance with some nice moments, like the just-in-time balance and swing in A2 and the uncommon swing progression in B2. This dance is particularly great if the band knows a tune with a balance at the end of the B1. Many rags (such as Beaumont Rag) have a "stop" in just the right place, as does Bowin' the Strings (recorded by Rodney Miller and Airdance on "Flying On Home"). Technically this dance doesn't start in the normal "improper" formation, but don't tell the dancers. Begin the first walk-through with a neighbor swing; then when you're ready to start the dance leave everyone next to the neighbor they've just swung rather than backing up to original places. For Colin Davidson of Georgetown Ontario; commissioned by his wife Sandy Cameron in a Pinewoods auction.
Comfort Deluxe
By Rick Mohr;
January 1, 1998
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
The transition in B2 can be very satisfying -- without losing momentum from the circle left, partners turn and circle right with the next couple -- but many dancers need help in the walk-through to get it. After the swing in B1 I have them take hands in a ring, then turn and take hands with the next couple. After noticing that the easy turn is toward your partner, we turn back and forth a couple more times before trying it with the circles. In a dream around 1988 I was calling a dance, and the card in my hand clearly read "Comfort Deluxe". It took ten years to come up with a dance worthy of the name. The Connectrix
By Rick Mohr;
March, 2000
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Easy/Intermediate
Once when my foursome improvised the A2 (from Fred Feild's classic modern contra "Symmetrical Force") in a different dance, I noticed the seamless transition from cloverleaf to swing. The result is this pleasing straightforward dance, with the additional quality that hand connection is never broken.
Crow Flight
By Rick Mohr;
April 27, 2006
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
A "Rory O'More" spin into a swing can be great fun, and works well here as a progression to the next neighbor. Even though this progression technically begins the dance I find it simpler to start the walk-through (and the first dance-through) with a long neighbor swing, skipping the initial balance and spin. The circle left to half hey in A2 (stolen from Sue Rosen's excellent dance "Mood Swings") is not difficult, but some care in the walk-through helps to avoid confusion. Circle almost once until the men are at the points of a diamond facing across the set, with the women facing up and down the set. The women then "tuck in" to the center by stepping forward and slightly right to stand back-to-back facing their partners. When clearly taught, the women will easily slip into the center to start the hey smoothly. For my friends Adam Broome, Jaige Trudel, and Nicholas Williams, and their awesome band Crowfoot. Dance All Night
By Rick Mohr;
July, 2000
Four-Face-Four, Level: Easy/Intermediate
This is a good straightforward "4 face 4" dance, long on movement and short on complexity. As with other such dances, your corner in A1 is next to you if you're in the middle of the line and across from you if you're at the end of the line. And after the swing in B2 dancers should face their original line of direction, having swapped to the other side of their line. At the 2001 Labor Day Brattleboro Dawn Dance I called the "milkman shift", the 3:30-7:00 AM slot where dancers need a maximum of energy and variety with a minimum of confusion. This dance fit the bill, and after Maia Rutman's enthusiastic endorsement I named it for her and the other inspired dance-all-nighters. Dr. Bluhm's Delight
By Rick Mohr;
June 1, 1995
Contra, Becket Level: Intermediate
Diagonal action makes this dance fun and different while staying accessible. The neighbor allemande right in B1 is slightly more than half way round—men go just past the opposite man to join left hands with the next man, forming a wave on the right diagonal. Then left allemande 3/4 easily forms the left diagonal wave with partner for the balance in B2. Of course the men would never forget to complete the balance by looking left at each other before diving into the partner swing ... but it couldn't hurt to remind them! Usually after the swing in B2 dancers are almost across from their new neighbors and don't need to shift left very far to start the circle left in A1. For my buddy Carey Bluhm of Fitzwilliam NH, who delights in playing fiddle tunes. Earth and Sky
By Rick Mohr;
June 27, 1998
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
In B2 the men start the hey by passing right shoulders rather than left shoulders. With the fifth change the men cross back to their original side, leading in to the left shoulder gypsy with original neighbors, then on to the next with a right shoulder gypsy. This dance has steady movement throughout, with a strongly connected segment ("earth") and a free segment ("sky").
Ellen's Yarns
By Rick Mohr;
July 22, 1995
Contra, Becket Level: Intermediate
Ted Sannella was the first to use "Petronella turn" into "balance and swing" with someone from another ring, in his dance "Fiddleheads". This dance was written (before the craze for such dances!) to provide that experience for everyone rather than just the actives. When starting the left-hand star in A1 it helps if the women take a look at the woman on the right diagonal so they know who to aim for when coming back around into the ladies chain. When waiting out at the ends dancers should stand as a couple on the women's side of the set; in A2 they should participate in the ladies chain. For Ellen Cohn of New Haven, Connecticut; raconteuse, natural dyer, gifted musician and singer, longtime Fiddlehead, and valued friend. A Fair Wind Home
By Rick Mohr;
September 15, 1997
Contra, Becket Level: Intermediate
"Balance the ring" in B2 makes a nice transition to Larry Jennings' "give and take" figure. After the balance, each man pulls his partner toward him and smoothly into a swing. The woman can resist momentarily, and then use the arm tension to accelerate across the set into the swing. After the partner swing in B2, couples will be offset from one another approximately one position to the left; this puts each man more or less across from the next man he will dance with. The new women find each other by looking across the set and two places to the left, and complete the progression by allemande right to a wave of four in the new minor set. (The allemande right is actually about a 5/8 turn.) For the engagement of David and Susie Titus. Goody One Shoe
By Rick Mohr;
September 19, 2009
Contra, Becket, Double-progression Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Micah Smukler invented the cool "waves to diamonds" sequence for his dance Goody Two Shoes; I hope this somewhat simpler dance gives it wider circulation. With a couple relaxed walkthroughs most dancers get it well. I encourage dancers to form sets with a full circle at the bottom, eliminating end effects throughout this double-progression dance. You could do a balance and swing in B2 instead of the gypsy and swing, but I thought the dance might have enough balances already. Grand Picnic
By Rick Mohr;
1989
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
This is a straightforward dance with continuous motion for all and lots of swinging; it works well provided that the novel bit in A2 is taught carefully. The key is to face your partner up and down the set after the women chain, continuing to hold left hands. During the walk-through this is a good moment to identify shadows by looking past your partner. For my friends in the great New York City contra band, Grand Picnic. The Grass Valley Glide
By Rick Mohr;
November 2004
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
This dance has a nice nonstop glide, especially with a true courtesy turn in A1. Its novelties are fairly well-telegraphed, so dancers tend to stay oriented. But the end effects can be unexpected; best to relax and follow George Marshall's advice: "The people coming at you know what you should be doing better than you know what you should be doing." The A2 transition from half promenade to diagonal star is borrowed from Gene Hubert's dance "Song In the Night". Technically the next couple is on the right diagonal, but it's easier to think of making an extra wide left turn in the half promenade. For the dancers of Grass Valley California, in appreciation for their warmth, fun, grace, and enthusiasm in hosting me and Nightingale for four splendid days in the summer of 2004. Home in Pasadena
By Rick Mohr;
2005
Singing Square, Level: Intermediate/Advanced
When I heard "Home in Pasadena" sung by the amazing vocal trio Finest Kind (on their album "Heart's Delight") I thought it would make a killer singing square. Great tune, chords, and swingy feel, with a good singable tag phrase. And best are its cool verses to different melodies that interlock nicely when sung together. But in a singing square the caller has to sing the calls, so how could those great lyrics possibly be included? My solution is to use an uncallable break figure, and sing the lyrics while the dancers make their way through it. The teacup chain plus beer mug chain makes just the right length, and can't be called since dancers have to do different things at the same time. It works great but takes a while to teach, so is perhaps better in a workshop than an evening dance. In the A2 of the figure the two 3/4 allemandes are shorter than might be expected. The second propels the men and women in different directions; dancers pass their partner once and on second sighting swing at (roughly) their home place. Allow enough time to teach the teacup chain. Here's a good description and teaching method from a modern western square dance caller (substitute allemandes for e.g. "star left" or "right arm turn", and end with a quick courtesy turn). The beer mug chain is the same sequence but led by the men (with left hands) rather than the women (with right hands); end with a brief swing. To get the feel of the song and learn its melodies your best bet is to buy "Heart's Delight". I include here the words and melody for singing the figure, and below are the words and chords for the song verses. If 3 singers are available, use this sequence:
Intro: Band plays final 8 bars ("Beneath the palms, in someone's arms, in Pasadena town") Don't stress about perfect singing—the dancers need most of their brains to make it through the teacup chain and only hear you as an interesting backdrop.
(1) Home in Pasadena
A A C#m7 A7 D D F#7 F#7
Bm7 Dm A A G#7 G#7 E7 E7
A A C#m7 A7 D D C#7 C#7
Bm7 Cdim Amaj7 F#7 Bm7 E7 A A
House of Pigs
By Rick Mohr;
July 1, 1999
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Written after my house was (pleasantly) invaded for most of a week by the band Pig's Eye Landing and Carol Ormand from Minneapolis/St. Paul.
In Cahoots
By Rick Mohr;
March 15, 2008
Contra, Becket Level: Easy/Intermediate
A good all-moving dance with strong balances in the B music.
The Joy of Six
By Rick Mohr;
February 26, 2002
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
Dancing to 6-count phrases is a fun change of pace with this flowy dance—if your band has appropriate music. Here are some tunes that have worked well for me, including a slangpolska, a 3/2 hornpipe, and some 3-part slip jigs, all with 6-count phrases and 72 beats total. The circle in C1 is really 5/8, and feels to the women like just halfway round. They should take a step back afterwards to give the men more room. Lads of Ohio
By Rick Mohr;
December 3, 2004
Contra, Becket (but see note) Level: Intermediate
While this is technically a Becket dance with the progression in A1 it's simpler to teach it as duple improper starting with the neighbor swing, and to call it that way the first time through. After the women chain in A2 everyone is next to their shadow. Introducing shadows at this point in the walk-through will help them find each other in the B2. The progression is like 1/4 of a hey, but don't tell the dancers. Instead, have the men cross and stop in the center facing neighbors. All look right to identify the next neighbor, then gypsy the current neighbor 1/2 and progress to swing the next. In honor of fine times with my friends Joseph Pimentel and Fred Todt of Columbus Ohio, warm talented fun lads, at whose dining room table this dance was written. I was preparing for a session billed to lure the local men with fabulous dances and then help them to be less rough with the women. I had no fabulous dance with both neighbor and partner courtesy turns, and this was my attempt to provide one. So a secondary nod is to all the lads of Ohio, on their path to becoming everyone's favorite dance partner. (A spot firmly held by Joseph and Fred, I might add.) Larry's Listening
By Rick Mohr;
February 1, 1997
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate/Advanced
The allemandes in B2 move right along, and their 5-count timing requires some attention in phrasing the calls. I might call it this way (starting with the last phrase of B1): (1) (2) (3) (4) Face across, circle left The progression (at the end of A2) requires some attention from the men. During "balance the wave" in A2 each man should locate the man in the next wave. With two steps forward those new men meet, allemande left halfway in the remaining two counts, and join right hands with partners to balance the wave. If the men are prepared there's plenty of time, but they have to focus on the allemande rather than on the walking forward. Also note that as dancers walk to meet the next couple they are on the opposite side of the set from their usual position during a progression. If couples waiting out at the ends are extra-alert they can cross over to what feels like the wrong side; another option is for the woman waiting out to do the allemande left halfway with the approaching man. For Larry Jennings, whose many contributions to the contra dance community include listening carefully to every caller at the Thursday night dance in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Larry once referred (with mixed judgment) to dances where you "balance and swing your neighbor, balance and swing your partner, and do a bunch of things in between which prove the caller is smarter than you are." This is one of those. Thanks to Larry for improving the title and suggesting re-aligning the parts (I originally started the dance with the current B2). Laura's Zigzag
By Rick Mohr;
May, 2001
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
Dedicated to Laura Johannes, caller and dance organizer from Jamaica Plain MA. Laura crafted the sequence in A2 for her dance "Autumn Breeze", expanding on the zigzag idea in Rockin' Robin, and I was full-circle inspired to write this dance. The A2 is most satisfying when momentum from circling launches the zigzags and momentum from zigzagging launches the circles. Also note that the 1/2 circle left passes quickly, so the women must be alert to lead into the zigzag. Then the men must be likewise alert to lead into the zag-zig after the 1/2 circle right. Finally, note that keeping some elbow tension can help partners enjoy staying together in the quick sideways motions of the zigzags.
Leave the Wine
By Rick Mohr;
September 27, 2007
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
This updates Kathy Anderson's fine dance "Weave the Line" so that both couples get a partner swing. It's a single-progression dance—even though you interact with neighbor #3 after the zig-zag-zig, you turn around to swing neighbor #2 to end singly-progressed. Then the men in those singly-progressed minor sets take left as the dance begins again. Love Sting
By Rick Mohr;
September 27, 2007
Contra, Becket Level: Easy/Intermediate
This "leave the minor set" dance has worked well with newer dancers. You're not long away from home, and the familiar faces of shadow and partner help with orientation. After going down the hall (A1) dancers should start their turn sooner than usual. The man between the two women raises his right arm as the women trade places (with the left-hand woman ducking under the arch) and then ducks under his own right arm as all face the music to return up the hall. After the women's diagonal chain (B1) dancers may need to look slightly left to find the correct couple for the star. For the wedding of Chris Love and Sarah Easterling of Asheville NC, who thought "Love Sting" a fun option when they considered combining their names. Mad Slice
By Rick Mohr;
September 5, 2009
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Here's a dance with two figures introduced fairly recently to contra dancing. "Double slice" is Bob Isaacs's term for the move in A2: dancers take hands in long lines and head for the couple on the left diagonal (always containing shadow #1), then continue moving left to back away from that couple and face a third couple (always containing shadow #2). I encourage dancers to move all together as a line. Star right with that couple 3/4 until you see shadow #1, then pass by to balance and swing your partner. The second newish figure is the "Mad Robin" which ends the dance; I borrowed this nice transition from an English dance by Jim Kitch. As you pass thru to progress, turn to face your partner and continue momentum smoothly into the Mad Robin (a sideways neighbor dosido keeping partner eye contact). Then still continuing momentum, the women catch left hands to start the dance anew. My Marbles Have Many Moods
By Rick Mohr;
July 13, 2001
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
This dance has continuous motion for all and smooth transitions. For Jane Hecht, who created the poetic title by her casual comment that "My marbles have many moods" as we drove the twisty coastal roads to English Dance Week in Mendocino CA. Somehow about 25 marbles from a florist had managed to roll into her car's sub-floor heating ducts, and they kept up an entertaining array of sounds as Jane contoured the roads. Night Sail
By Rick Mohr;
April 1, 2006
Contra, Becket Level: Easy/Intermediate
Nightingale plays a galvinizing contra arrangement of the Québecois song Nous Allons à une Fête, with Keith Murphy singing once the pesky caller quiets down. It has a killer steady drive building through the A's culminating in a full stop, which is wildly rewarding when matched with a balance on the B1 as the music zings back in. After an unsuccessful search for the perfect companion dance I wrote this one, and the combination is rather thrilling. Of course one isn't always so fortunate to have Nightingale playing, but the dance can be a decent thrill on its own. Encourage the women to step out strongly and lead the transition from courtesy turn to circle right in the A1. Then encourage the men to keep eye contact with their partners as (without breaking stride) everyone turns to circle left with new neighbors in the A2. This three-figure sequence is stolen from Gene Hubert's dance "Mama Lou's Reel", though it feels fairly different here. Dedicated to Keith, Becky, and Jeremiah in honor of many stellar, sailing nights of dance music. You can hear Keith sing the song on his fine album Bound for Canaan. Thanks to Lisa Sieverts for pointing out that this dance works great for beginners.
Oatmeal Creams
By Rick Mohr;
March, 1992
(To start join left hands with neighbor, and reach back to join right
hands in a long wave; men face in, women face out)Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
The ladies chain in A1 has an extra 1/4 courtesy turn, which opens just in time as the women join right hands to form the wave. Encourage the dancers to do a "tight courtesy turn" in order to be on time for the balance. (Suggesting that they avoid twirls just gets their dander up.) In A2 I call "Walk to your shadow" rather than "Walk forward"; the latter is confusing if people are out of place, while the former suggests the solution of heading for a familiar face. Keebler used to make a fantastic oatmeal cream cookie but they deep-sixed it, probably due to financial tyranny of chocolate lovers. Pensacola Rollaway
By Rick Mohr;
May, 1999
Mixer, Big Circle Level: Intermediate/Advanced
With a little attention to the transitions in A2 and B1 this can be a very pleasing seamless dance, and remind us that circle mixers come in a wide range of moods! When finishing the gypsy in A2, each woman can place her left hand in her #3 man's right as he leads smoothly out of the gypsy into the big circle left. Now each dancer is between their #2 and #3 dancers. As B1 begins, each man continues to walk left as he rolls his #2 woman from left to right. Each woman rolls to her right across her #2 man and then continues rolling smoothly into a swing with her partner. I suggest a "hoop hold" for the swing because it allows the man to fully support the women with his left arm as she rolls into his arms. Please encourage the men to keep walking in several key spots: from gypsy to circle in A2, from circle to roll away in B1, and from promenade to dosido in B2. Many men tend not to do this, but it makes all the difference. The title commemorates a memorable trip to Pensacola, which I have not yet taken. The Phantom Tollbooth
By Rick Mohr;
January 29, 2005
Grid Square, + Mini Contra Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Dance a square, then dance a 4-person contra with the couple in the adjacent square, then progress into a new square! It works, and feels magical every time in a Phantom Tollbooth sort of way. To set it up have each square join hands in a ring, and line up the squares in rows and columns. Make sure they're straight, with no gaps. You need 9 squares minimum, the more the better. If any row has only one square, move a square from a different row&emda;for example, 3+3+2+2 is better than 3+3+3+1. In the walk-through, after the (staggered) rights and lefts in A1 have everyone turn around to meet the couple behind them in the adjacent square. Then finish the square through to the partner allemande in B2, when those same adjacent couples meet to form a wave. Those foursomes now dance a contra, with couples along the edges of the hall waiting out. After the partner swing in D1 make sure to teach (and call) "face that couple" as some dancers will tend to face the next square too soon. Then in D2 pass through into the new world of another square. Call the square + contra sequence twice and then call the break figure. The break rotates the set 1/4 and swaps heads/sides so that everyone now progresses on the other axis. Lather, rinse, repeat; run it as long as a typical contra. For Carol Ormand, longtime music and dance soulmate and contra/square alchemist, whose mind sparkles up at all the best times. Propeller Promenade
By Rick Mohr;
April 25, 2001
Contra, Becket (but see note) Level: Intermediate
While this is technically a Becket dance with the progression in A1 it's simpler to teach it as duple improper starting with the neighbor swing, and to call it that way the first time through. In A2 the men scoop up their neighbor to transition smoothly from the left hand star into the promenade. The next transition, from the promenade into the right hand star in B2, can be just as smooth but requires some attention. Without turning to face across the set, the men should let the women step ahead, while putting right hands (which are conveniently joined from the promenade) into the center to form the star. The progression is like 1/4 of a hey, but don't tell the dancers. Instead, have the men cross and stop in the center facing neighbors. All look right to identify the next neighbor, then gypsy the current neighbor 1/2 and progress to swing the next. Sometimes an idea leads quickly to a satisfying dance, but in this case it took six years and three versions! Retronella
By Rick Mohr;
January 4, 2003
Contra, Reverse Becket Level: Intermediate
To get into the "Reverse Becket" formation, start in duple improper formation. Then the women trade places, and everyone is next to their partner but backwards from normal Becket formation. The A1 is easy to do but hard to describe! After "balance the ring" partners are holding hands, man's left in woman's right. "Nevada twirl" is just a "California twirl" with these opposite hands -- partners raise joined hands and trade places, with the woman ducking under the arch. (As partners pass, men are to the inside of the set and women outside.) Then face partner without letting go of hands, and reach across the set to join free hand with neighbor and form a "cloverleaf". After balancing in this formation, an easy California twirl with neighbor re-forms the original ring (rotated 1/2). The progression in B2 is satisfying, but dancers will be late unless helped out by attention to timing during the walk-through and precise (early?) calls during the dance. Take just two steps to cross the set, turning right immediately after passing neighbor to face single file up or down the set. Then two more steps to meet the next couple, and four steps to circle halfway. As to the title "Retronella" -- the dance is loosely similar in structure to Petronella, but is "retro" (backwards) in numerous respects: the reverse Becket formation, progressing on the other side of the set, women leading the progression (scandalous...), and men moving around the ring in the opposite direction as Petronella. And one more -- when waiting out at the ends, dancers should stay as they are, resisting the urge to cross over. Despite all this retrocity I have found the dance to be popular and not disorienting. Rick's Triplet #1
By Rick Mohr;
July 23, 2000
Triplet, 1's Improper Level: Intermediate
Ted Sannella wrote many wonderful triplets and popularized the formation for contra dancers. The best triplets give a short intimate dancing experience with a zesty all-moving contra feel and the added variety of 3-couple figures. A2's "dip and dive" starts with couples 1 and 2 trading places, couple 1 ducking under couple 2's arch. Then couples 1 and 3 trade places, couple 1 arching over couple 3, while couple 2 does a California twirl at the top. Then couple 3 arches over couple 2 while couple 1 does a California twirl at the bottom. After 6 such changes everyone is back home. (This figure works best if the preceding dance had a California twirl so everyone can do it smoothly!) In B1, couple 1 moves to the middle during the first roll away and to the bottom during the second roll away. In both rollaways the women move to their right while the men move to their left. In terms of the original numbering, once through the dance leaves the couples in a 2, 3, 1 sequence. Rick's Triplet #2
By Rick Mohr;
January 28, 2002
Triplet, 1's Improper Level: Intermediate/Advanced
The figures of this dance fit the music phrases exactly, so it can be quite satisfying if dancers are on the ball but somewhat unforgiving if they get confused. The active couple moves continuously in A1. First they cross around the 2's to the middle position, and then without stopping they cross again and both turn right—the man loops around the bottom couple while the woman loops around the top couple. As the active dancers return to the middle position (proper) all join hands and match their motion smoothly into a circle left. The circle left in A2 takes 12 steps, so be aware to call the allemande right in time for its four steps to end the phrase in time to balance the wave at the start of B1. Then 12 weaving hey steps invert the set in time for the partner balance and swing at the start of B2. In terms of the original numbering, once through the dance leaves the couples in a 3, 1, 2 sequence. Rockin' Robin
By Rick Mohr;
November, 1996
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Easy/Intermediate
This is a very fun dance, especially with fast reels. It helps to alert the men to pull by at the end of the phrase in A1. Otherwise some will delay until the beginning of A2, making them late for the balance in B1. This can be reinforced during the dance by calling "Men right hand pull by" early by a beat or two. The "Zig-Zag" in B2 is most satisfying if dancers emphasize the sideways left/right motion rather than the forward motion which gets them past their neighbors. There's plenty of time, so encourage them to go a good distance out of the set in the Zig. The idea is to let the momentum from the circle left propel into the Zig left, and then let the momentum from the Zag right lead directly into the circle right with the next couple. For Robin Kynoch, a fine tinwhistle player from Framingham, Massachusetts. You might not think it possible to "rock" on the whistle, but Robin does. Rosen at the Wheel
By Rick Mohr;
October 2004
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
The right and left through in B2 is a double progression, but the subsequent pass through makes for a single progression dance. I got the idea of doing a "fake double progression" starting with a diagonal right and left through from Tori Barone of Wilmington Delaware. Thanks Tori! This dance progresses in the opposite direction from most duple improper contras, with the 1's moving up the set and the 2's moving down the set. For my friend Bruce Rosen of Newton MA, fine pianist and champion of maligned instruments like melodeon and banjo uke, who never lets me drive. Back when I used to name untried dances I wrote another dance with this title, but it just wasn't as great as Bruce. If by some chance you have the old one please bury it. The Shy Gazelle
By Rick Mohr;
January 16, 2009
Contra, Duple Improper, Reverse-progression Level: Intermediate/Advanced
In B1 the men hold on after the allemande right, put their arm around their partner (man's arm below), and turn halfway more. This star promenade uses different arms than "usual", with the nice consequence that partners are rotating the right direction for a smooth transition into the swing. And since the man's left and woman's right arms are already connected it's a great chance to use the "hoop hold" (seen sometimes in Scandinavian turning dances) where both partners make a big hoop with their arms, supporting each other equally. It might profit from a quick demo since many dancers don't use it. In B2 the "wrong side" reverse progression can come as a surprise, but the last two figures give a quick satisfying resolution to get everyone back on the "right" side. A birthday gift from David Schwartz (who came up with the title) to Yael Schy. Spoot the Dog
By Rick Mohr;
August, 1989
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Easy
In Michael McKernan's "Daybreak Real" (and descendants), the men balance each other, then dosido, then allemande right. This combination cries out for more uses, as in this dance where everyone gets to do it with their neighbor. The rest of the dance isn't too complicated, making it a candidate for that small category of dances which are straightforward for beginners while still interesting for veterans. I often use it successfully as the second dance of the evening for a mixed crowd. Named for Malcolm Sanders' wonderful dog Spoot, who appeared in Malcolm's life at 1:00 AM after a Froggie on the Carport gig during the time the band was infatuated with Ian Burns' tune Spootiskerry. (One story is that "Spootiskerry" approximates the sound of the ocean splooshing into a rock formation on a particular Scottish island.) Starshadow
By Rick Mohr;
February 2, 2005
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
A smooth dance with nice transitions and a fun progression led by the women. (Shocking!) In B1 your shadow is next to you—give their hand a little squeeze during the forward and back to remind everyone to start the right-hand star with shadow rather than partner. Then come back for a left-hand star with your partner, ending where you finished the swing. Face single file up or down the set, and continue the momentum of the star to walk forward two steps with the women leading. Meet the next couple and circle right! For Nica Faulkner of Jamaica Plain Massachusetts and Stoddard New Hampshire, who appreciates a starry night and a smooth dance. Steel Anniversary Reel
By Rick Mohr;
May 12, 2003
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
The "Mad Robin" figure, borrowed from the English country dance of the same name, has shown up in a number of contra dances; I think it fits particularly nicely in this sequence. Dancers walk the path of a neighbor dosido but face their partner across the set throughout, keeping eye contact. Since the figure is unfamiliar to many dancers it can help to first walk a neighbor dosido and then repeat the same track keeping partner eye contact. While backing up in long lines in A1, each man rolls his new neighbor from left to right. Then neighbors pull sideways into the sliding doors, with the man passing in front of his neighbor but keeping eye contact with his partner across the set. After one revolution, men cross the set passing left shoulders to gypsy and swing partner. For David and Cynthia Simonoff on their 11th anniversary, commissioned by our mutual friend Karen Geer from a Pinewoods auction. String of Swings
By Rick Mohr and Bob Isaacs;
April 11, 2009
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Easy/Intermediate
The sequence of swings can be a thrill, especially if dancers end each of them with their back to the person they're going to swing next and then continue momentum to whirl 180° to the right and immediately into the next swing. (The men in particular need extra encouragement to turn right out of each swing.) Here's how I do that part of the walk-through: 2's—finish your swing facing each other in the center, with your back to your neighbor. 1's be ready to catch them! 2's whirl right, right into a swing with your neighbor. End that swing facing your neighbor, with the 1's back-to-back in the center. 1's—whirl right, right into a swing with your partner. The neighbor swing in B2 ends in the middle of the phrase, something I usually avoid because dancers are so used to swinging until the end of the phrase. But this dance has always worked well, maybe because the series of short swings is a clear focus. Thanks to co-author Bob Isaacs for greatly improving the sequence of surrounding figures for the string of swings. Sue's Cruise
By Rick Mohr;
February 26, 2002
Contra, Becket Level: Intermediate
This dance can have a wonderfully steady cruise feeling, with each figure flowing into the next and culminating in the final swing. Things that help are leisurely allemandes, uncrowded sets, and smooth reels with good drive. The timing noted above is not precise; dancers' individual variations can cause the figures to align with the music differently each time through. But it all works out. The transition from left shoulder gypsy to circle right is unusual. It can be smooth and satisfying, but is initially awkward for some dancers. As the gypsy ends the women are in the center looking out at the men, and everyone is still moving to their own right. The man should continue moving to his right to lead into the circle, and the woman can connect everything by placing her right hand in the gent's left as she follows him into the circle. (Thanks to Kathy Anderson for pointing out this lovely connection years ago in the other direction.) In the transitions from circle to allemande in A1 and B1 it helps to remind the dancers who aren't doing the allemande to take a step back and get out of the way, particularly the women in B1. For Sue Rosen, good friend and fine caller from Newton MA. Summer Of Delight
By Rick Mohr;
September 27, 2007
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Easy/Intermediate
This dance combines the distinctive figures from "Summer of 84" by Gene Hubert and "Marion's Delight" by Carol Kopp. It's an accessible yet interesting dance for a mixed crowd of dancers.
Sunset Limited
By Rick Mohr;
September 27, 2007
Contra, Becket Level: Intermediate
This is a good "steady groove" dance, with continuous flow and smooth transitions. After the 2008 Dance Flurry I was pleased to hear from a dancer that "In combination with the tune Nightingale played and the partner I was dancing with, [Sunset Limited] was one of the most exquisite dance experiences I've ever had. I don't remember many individual dances in my life, but that one will stay with me." For some dancers the B2 progression feels odd at first because their partner is on the "wrong" side. I start by teaching the progression—get in Becket formation, trade places with your partner, and shift left to be in front of another couple. Assure the men it's correct to have their partner in their left hand. Assure the women it's correct to have their partner in their right hand. Now shift right and circle right with your original neighbors. I encourage dancers to do the A2 allemandes more tightly than usual, but it's not crucial since the subsequent gypsy is forgiving. For my wife Chloe Maryam Maher (who is the best) in honor of our epic Fall 2007 train trip, and the ride from Houston to New Orleans on Amtrak's Sunset Limited. Synchronicity
By Rick Mohr;
December 2004
Contra, Duple (reverse) Improper Level: Easy/Intermediate
Smooth transitions, unbroken momentum, and a mid-B2 progression make this a dynamic dance using standard figures. Technically it doesn't start in the normal "improper" formation, but don't tell the dancers. Begin the first walk-through with a neighbor swing; then when you're ready to start the dance leave everyone next to the neighbor they've just swung rather than backing up to original places. There's not much extra time, so encourage the men to keep the momentum going between figures—particularly the swing to allemande in A1, swing to circle in B1, and chain to star in B2. Taconic Stars
By Rick Mohr;
January 22, 2006
Contra, Becket Level: Intermediate/Advanced
It's helpful to meet your shadow before the walkthrough, standing next to you in the Becket formation. Men should remember each other during the first star in A2 so they can find each other after the second star in B1. When they meet there is a momentary long wave of men in the middle of the set, and the women are facing up or down the set. While the men allemande each other the women continue along the set a few small steps to meet their partner. The B1 timing may look rushed, but this is how I've observed it to work in practice. For Matece Duncan and the crystal-bright stars above the Falcon Ridge folk festival. Ted and Lynn
By Rick Mohr;
September 9, 2009
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate
This dance has three swings, each with a slight surprise—first with a neighbor you haven't seen yet, second with a neighbor you thought you were finished with, and finally with your partner in an unexpected way. Dancers may not be familiar with the cross trail through in A2, but it's easy if you think about who you're passing. Pass right shoulder with your partner to cross the set, then pass left shoulder with the neighbor you just swung (#3) to meet the neighbor you passed earlier (#2). Then in B1, after the men pass left and partners pass right, the women meet and push off each other with both hands. The next transition is quite fine if the woman backs directly into her partner's extended right arm and he wraps her smoothly into the swing. For Ted Hodapp and Lynn Baumeister, good friends and exceptional dancers, on the occasion of their wedding.
The Ten Pound Snowflake
By Rick Mohr;
1983
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Intermediate/Advanced
This is the first dance I ever wrote. Some spots are more challenging than I might prefer nowadays, but it's been enthusiastically danced many times in the Midwest so here it is! It was originally written to match the balances in Brian Humphrey's tune of the same name, but goes fine with other tunes too. Brian wrote the tune after a particularly HEAVY Minnesota snowstorm and a visit to the East Lansing Michigan coffeehouse "The Ten Pound Fiddle". After the women allemande quickly in A1 they should allemande leisurely in A2, taking 4 full beats before the partner balance. In my exuberant age 25 dancing style, the circles in B1 and B2 were punctuated by double-footed stamps on the last two beats of the phrase! (Somewhere along the line these were dubbed "the snowflakes".) How about we say these are optional? In B2 (with or without the snowflakes) it's challenging to get all the way around in the circle and do a full men's allemande in 4 counts. As the men move into the allemande, giving a little right-hand tug can help their neighbors complete the circle and be well positioned for the final allemande.
Trip to Peterborough
By Rick Mohr;
August 13, 2002
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Easy/Intermediate
For Steve Zakon-Anderson, who has called, organized, and composed many wonderful dances, many of them in Peterborough NH. The dance borrows its A1 from Steve's well-known "Trip to Lambertville" (and Peter Lippincott's "Snake River Reel"), and was premiered in Peterborough at the 2002 Fall Ball. The middle of the A2 is essentially a 1/4 hey. It works best if the women take a half step right to line up across from each other while the men are in the middle. After the neighbor swing in B2 the women appreciate a firm right hand from the men to push off from as they head into the center. Trip to Troy
By Rick Mohr;
March 17, 1994
Contra, Duple Improper Level: Easy/Intermediate
Finding the right shadow in A2 is easier if dancers identify their shadow before the walk-through. Look across the set at your partner; your shadow is two places to the right. The allemande left in A2 is technically 3/4 round but there is less confusion if it is taught as 1/2 round. Written for a visit to my sister Carol when she lived in Troy, New York. Warp and Weft
By Rick Mohr;
February 2005
Grid Square, 4-Face-4 Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Depending on which side of bed you got out of this morning, this is either a grid square or a 4-face-4 double-progression contra. Extra fun comes from progressing alternately down the hall and across the hall, so everyone gets thoroughly mixed around. To get the spacing right, set it up as a grid square. Have each square join hands in a ring so everyone can see to line up the squares in rows and columns. Make sure they're straight, with no gaps. Then have everyone move a bit to their left to form lines of four facing four up and down the hall. You need 9 squares minimum, the more the better. If any row has only one square, move a square from a different row—for example, 3+3+2+2 is better than 3+3+3+1. Form a square in A1 after swinging your corner, who is next to you if you're in the middle of the line and across from you if you're at the end of the line. Head couples and side couples alternate leading the C1. No one is with their partner at that point, but in successive changes heads remain heads and sides remain sides (until hitting an edge and swapping roles). After the left-hand star all face original partners, and you're lined up for a hey with the people in your original line of four. End the swing in D1 in lines of four, facing the couple you did the hey with. The lines form alternately at the sides and at the heads in successive changes. If dancers face their hey mates everything works out, but of course it's best to keep it straight in your own head and call e.g. "make lines at the sides, go forward and back". To help with the D2 progression during the walk-through, look past the line facing you to see another line of four and then look past that line to see a third line of four. You'll be dancing with that third line next—pass through the first and second lines to meet them. If there's no second line, do a California twirl and face back into the set. I wrote this dance after a trip to Lowell Massachusetts to see the Industrial Revolution factory museums. The alternating progressions reminded me of all the warp and weft in those amazing waterpowered looms. |
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